Desperate to boost the image of the Chief Minister of Indian administered Kashmir, Ghulam Nabi Azad, the region’s Department of Information has turned to graphic software to project a mass support for him.

The daily press releases and pictures sent by the Information department off late include doctored photographs showing mammoth crowds at the chief minister’s rallies.

A keen look at the photographs, however, betrays the computer skills of the department.

A large crowd is made by cloning the original few people in the rally, many times over, placing them side by side in the photographs creating the perception of huge public participation.

In a picture released by the department on October 16, about the chief minister’s rally in south Kashmir village of Verinag, Kashmir Newz could detect patches cloned at least five times. picture

There are others such as a picture of chief minister’s rally in R S Pura Jammu on September 25, CM’s visit to Badamwari Srinagar on October 15, which betray the crude doctoring skills.

Most of the times the low resolution of the pictures sent by the department cover the doctoring flaws in pictures.

At times the crude doctoring gives the picture the look of a studio set up. picture
A picture released by the department on October 15, 2007, shows Azad, his wife Shamima Dev Azad and Chairman J&K Bank Haseeb Drabu inspecting Badamwari Park being developed by the J&K Bank.